item details
NameFolding fan
ProductionUnknown; 1750-1775; France
Classificationfans, works on paper
Materialspaper, gouache, ivory, gold alloy, hard paste porcelain
Materials Summarydouble paper leaf, painted in gouache and gilded. Ivory sticks, carved and pierced; guards carved. Diamond paste at rivet.
DimensionsOverall: 465mm (width), 280mm (height)
Registration Number1938-0003-8
Credit lineGift of Mr and Mrs Ernest Makower, 1938
Overview
Highly skilled fan-makers used exotic materials such as tortoiseshell, ivory, mother-of-pearl, and gold. Designs could be elaborate and commonly depicted scenes of religious allegory or love and courtship.
Fans were at their most popular during the reign of King Louis XV of France (1715–74). But, despite their value, they swiftly became obsolete when fashions changed.